US5935503A - Process and kit for creating artificial leaves and flowers - Google Patents
Process and kit for creating artificial leaves and flowers Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US5935503A US5935503A US08/958,013 US95801397A US5935503A US 5935503 A US5935503 A US 5935503A US 95801397 A US95801397 A US 95801397A US 5935503 A US5935503 A US 5935503A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- armature
- mold
- forming
- petal
- leaf
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C39/00—Shaping by casting, i.e. introducing the moulding material into a mould or between confining surfaces without significant moulding pressure; Apparatus therefor
- B29C39/02—Shaping by casting, i.e. introducing the moulding material into a mould or between confining surfaces without significant moulding pressure; Apparatus therefor for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
- B29C39/10—Shaping by casting, i.e. introducing the moulding material into a mould or between confining surfaces without significant moulding pressure; Apparatus therefor for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. casting around inserts or for coating articles
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A41—WEARING APPAREL
- A41G—ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS; WIGS; MASKS; FEATHERS
- A41G1/00—Artificial flowers, fruit, leaves, or trees; Garlands
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a new and improved process, particularly suited for children's crafts, for the creation of artificial petals and leaves which may be subsequently assembled to create attractive and long-lasting artificial floral-type arrangements.
- Yet another purpose of the present invention is to provide such a method and apparatus which is of simple, yet efficient means.
- Still another purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out the aforementioned purposes which is of simple, yet resilient construction.
- a still further purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the foregoing type which can be presented in the form of a kit.
- the method of the present invention comprises the formation of a frame constituting the intended exterior shape of the leaf or petal to be modeled by wrapping a flexible yet rigid material about a male form corresponding to the desired outline shape.
- the frame element is then removed from the form and placed within a female mold similarly corresponding to the desired shape.
- the female mold retains the frame element therein.
- a liquid casting substance is then placed in the mold.
- the casting material sets to a thick film, adhering to the frame material. When set, the thus produced artificial petal or leaf element is removed.
- the apparatus by which the process of the present invention may be carried out may include one or more male forms of various peripheral contours, constituting the desired leaf and petal shapes, as well as one or more corresponding female molds to accept the corresponding frame.
- Casting material in a plurality of colors may be provided to give variety to the cast designs. Glitter may be mixed into the casting material.
- FIG. 1 is an illustration of an arrangement created in accordance with the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a male and a pair of female molds
- FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a male mold with a frame member placed thereon;
- FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a male mold with the frame member wrapped therearound;
- FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the female molds of FIG. 2, illustrating the casting step
- FIG. 6 is a section view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5.
- Arrangement 10 comprises a plurality of individual petals or leaves 12, each of which has a peripheral frame or armature 14 supporting a film-like leaf body 16.
- Each of the armatures 14 include a stem portion 18, the stem portions being able to be joined together, such as by twisting to join the individual petals or leaves together into an attractive, life-like arrangement as desired by the user.
- each of the leaves 12 is formed by the wrapping of a length of armature material, which may be thin gauge wire, either coated or uncoated, about a male form.
- the gauge of the wire is chosen to be easily wrapped about the form but with sufficient rigidity to retain the desired shape of a leaf or petal.
- the male form 20 includes an upper portion 22 having a vertical side wall 24 in the desired outline shape for the petal or leaf armature to be formed thereon.
- Base portion 26 includes top horizontal wall 28 which, with side wall 24, forms a shoulder construction against which the armature wire may be wrapped and twisted, the armature wire conforming closely to the contour of the side wall 24.
- a chosen length of wire 44 is placed against the side wall 24 and wrapped fully about the form.
- the free ends of the wire are then twisted together as shown in FIG. 4, drawing the wire snugly about the form and allowing the wire to assume the shape of the form.
- the formed creation is then slid upwardly along the side wall whereby it is removed from the form.
- female mold unit 30 may comprise an elongated base 32 having a plurality of individual molds 34 thereon.
- the molds may be of identical or different shapes, allowing a plurality of petals or leaves to be formed.
- Each of the individual molds has a side wall 36 extending upwardly from and about mold bottom 38. The upper portion of the side wall 36 may terminate within a slightly in-turned lip portion 40.
- Each of the individual molds 34 corresponds in shape to a male form 20, and particularly to the shape of an armature 14 as generated on a male form.
- the armature is placed within a corresponding mold, as depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6, the armature fitting closely against the inner surface of mold side wall 36, and being gently retained within the mold by the in-turned lip 40.
- Each of the individual molds is provided with a side opening 42 through which the stem 18 of the armature, extending beyond the leaf or petal outline, projects and is supported.
- a liquid molding material is placed in the mold to form the leaf or petal body.
- the liquid may preferably be, for example, a non-toxic polyvinyl acetate, which may be colored with an appropriate colorant as known in the art.
- a liquid is highly viscous, and may be applied within the mold by use of a brush.
- the use of a brush is preferred, as it allows a controlled layer of the liquid material to be built up upon and across the entire mold bottom surface and in contact with the entire periphery of the leaf-forming armature.
- the layer is preferably of a height substantially the same as the height of the armature 14 which is shown as comprising copper wire 46 within an insulating coating 48.
- insulated wire may be preferred since it allows an increased overall diameter for the wire element at lower cost than an uncoated/uninsulated wire of the same diameter. Due to the viscous nature of polyvinyl acetate, it is possible to apply a plurality of differently-colored molded materials in differing areas of the mold without significant flow-out and thus mixing of the colors. Glitter may also be incorporated into the polyvinyl acetate material to provide varying effects. In this way multi-colored leaf and petal designs can be created. Polyvinyl acetate is particularly preferred in that it is water soluble when liquid and is generally considered non-hazardous.
- the female mold is preferably formed of a material, such as polyethylene, to which the polyvinyl acetate does not bond.
- the produced leaf or petal may be easily removed from the mold by lifting the armature from the mold.
- the polyvinyl acetate adheres to the armature as a leaf-forming film, easily peeling away from the mold bottom, producing a well-formed leaf or petal and leaving the mold available for re-use.
- Both the armature and adhered leaf body 16 have sufficient flexibility to pass the side wall lip 40.
- the generated leaf or petal may be further gently bent or formed from the original flat orientation as removed from the mold to a more-natural representation.
- the resulting artificial floral arrangement which may include leaves and petals of varying shape and coloration, is particularly life-like and long-lasting.
- kits may include a plurality of male forms of a variety of shapes to create both leaf and petal shapes, and corresponding female molds.
- a plurality of identical female molds may be included to allow several identical armatures to be cast upon simultaneously.
Abstract
Description
Claims (13)
Priority Applications (8)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US08/958,013 US5935503A (en) | 1997-10-27 | 1997-10-27 | Process and kit for creating artificial leaves and flowers |
CA002243719A CA2243719C (en) | 1997-10-27 | 1998-07-22 | Process and apparatus for creating artificial leaves and flowers |
GB9816591A GB2330550B (en) | 1997-10-27 | 1998-07-31 | Apparatus and method for forming decorative items |
ES009801974A ES2151843B1 (en) | 1997-10-27 | 1998-09-21 | PROCEDURE AND APPLIANCE FOR THE CREATION OF LEAVES AND FLOWERS ARTIFICIAL ES. |
DE19846076A DE19846076A1 (en) | 1997-10-27 | 1998-10-06 | Device and method for molding decorative objects, in particular artificial flowers and leaves |
FR9813312A FR2770094B1 (en) | 1997-10-27 | 1998-10-23 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CREATING ARTIFICIAL SHEETS AND FLOWERS |
US09/666,904 US6322741B1 (en) | 1997-10-27 | 2000-09-20 | Process and apparatus for creating artificial leaves and flowers |
US09/666,903 US6322740B1 (en) | 1997-10-27 | 2000-09-20 | Process and apparatus for creating artificial leaves and flowers |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US08/958,013 US5935503A (en) | 1997-10-27 | 1997-10-27 | Process and kit for creating artificial leaves and flowers |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US6429598A Continuation-In-Part | 1997-10-27 | 1998-04-22 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US5935503A true US5935503A (en) | 1999-08-10 |
Family
ID=25500489
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US08/958,013 Expired - Fee Related US5935503A (en) | 1997-10-27 | 1997-10-27 | Process and kit for creating artificial leaves and flowers |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US5935503A (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6322740B1 (en) * | 1997-10-27 | 2001-11-27 | Natural Science Industries, Ltd. | Process and apparatus for creating artificial leaves and flowers |
Citations (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2467567A (en) * | 1946-12-17 | 1949-04-19 | Price Jerry | Tripod for cameras and other objects |
US2684503A (en) * | 1949-11-16 | 1954-07-27 | Stan M Silver | Method for making modeling figurines |
US2697892A (en) * | 1952-09-24 | 1954-12-28 | Margaret F Haas | Ornamental member |
US2793454A (en) * | 1955-12-05 | 1957-05-28 | Shoemaker Evelyn | Artificial butterfly |
US2903942A (en) * | 1955-08-05 | 1959-09-15 | Unicorn Engineering Corp | Continuous optical reduction motion picture printer |
US3146153A (en) * | 1961-09-06 | 1964-08-25 | Helen G Stein | Artificial flower |
US4293997A (en) * | 1978-07-18 | 1981-10-13 | Lee Bobby L | Method for manufacture of artificial flowers |
US4407766A (en) * | 1981-05-26 | 1983-10-04 | National Patent Development Corporation | Molds and procedure for producing truncated contact lenses |
US4409768A (en) * | 1980-06-02 | 1983-10-18 | Joseph Boden | Prefabricated wall panel |
US5580507A (en) * | 1993-12-17 | 1996-12-03 | Nike, Inc. | Method of making a mold and parts from the mold |
-
1997
- 1997-10-27 US US08/958,013 patent/US5935503A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2467567A (en) * | 1946-12-17 | 1949-04-19 | Price Jerry | Tripod for cameras and other objects |
US2684503A (en) * | 1949-11-16 | 1954-07-27 | Stan M Silver | Method for making modeling figurines |
US2697892A (en) * | 1952-09-24 | 1954-12-28 | Margaret F Haas | Ornamental member |
US2903942A (en) * | 1955-08-05 | 1959-09-15 | Unicorn Engineering Corp | Continuous optical reduction motion picture printer |
US2793454A (en) * | 1955-12-05 | 1957-05-28 | Shoemaker Evelyn | Artificial butterfly |
US3146153A (en) * | 1961-09-06 | 1964-08-25 | Helen G Stein | Artificial flower |
US4293997A (en) * | 1978-07-18 | 1981-10-13 | Lee Bobby L | Method for manufacture of artificial flowers |
US4409768A (en) * | 1980-06-02 | 1983-10-18 | Joseph Boden | Prefabricated wall panel |
US4407766A (en) * | 1981-05-26 | 1983-10-04 | National Patent Development Corporation | Molds and procedure for producing truncated contact lenses |
US5580507A (en) * | 1993-12-17 | 1996-12-03 | Nike, Inc. | Method of making a mold and parts from the mold |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6322740B1 (en) * | 1997-10-27 | 2001-11-27 | Natural Science Industries, Ltd. | Process and apparatus for creating artificial leaves and flowers |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US3783554A (en) | Appliable doll decorations | |
US4333974A (en) | Candy-covered figurine and method of producing | |
US5229149A (en) | Strawberry simulating a rose bud | |
US2054605A (en) | Artificial flower and method of and apparatus for making the same | |
US5935503A (en) | Process and kit for creating artificial leaves and flowers | |
US2779058A (en) | Mold for making imitation article | |
US6322740B1 (en) | Process and apparatus for creating artificial leaves and flowers | |
JP2001169823A (en) | Manufacturing method of artificial false nail | |
US3525659A (en) | Artificial dwarf tree and method of making same | |
US1737683A (en) | Artificial minnow for fishing | |
US5606933A (en) | Agar-plastic foam bird feeder and process | |
US4908001A (en) | Soft latex figure and method of making the same | |
US3947992A (en) | Molding toy | |
US20030187518A1 (en) | Self-adhesive prosthetic make-up and method of use | |
EP0348511A1 (en) | Tool set for making colored plastic paintings and plastic art articles and method of making colored plastic paintings and plastic art article using the same | |
US5677018A (en) | Candy tree | |
CN109090750A (en) | A kind of technique that fresh flower entire surface is gold-plated | |
US5858485A (en) | Structure and process for producing artificial fruits and vegetables | |
GB2272182A (en) | Method of making a filled moulded article | |
JP2985995B2 (en) | Manufacturing method of artificial flowers | |
US3869824A (en) | Assembly toy and craft | |
US4939005A (en) | Tobacco figurine | |
US6696115B1 (en) | Methods of making realistic artificial oysters on the half-shell | |
US20220117339A1 (en) | Halloween artificial tree | |
JP4044198B2 (en) | Manufacturing method of resin art model and color liquid used for this |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: NATURAL SCIENCE INDUSTRIES, LTD., NEW YORK Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:HANSON, SUSAN;REEL/FRAME:008803/0221 Effective date: 19971023 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: FLEET NATIONAL BNK (F/K/A BANKBOSTON) AS AGENT, MA Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:NATURAL SCIENCE INDUSTRIES;REEL/FRAME:011658/0194 Effective date: 19970519 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: FLEET NATIONAL BANK, AS AGENT, CONNECTICUT Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:NATURAL SCIENCE INDUSTRIES, LTD;REEL/FRAME:012134/0070 Effective date: 20010824 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: GMAC BUSINESS CREDIT, LLC, NEW YORK Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:NATURAL SCIENCE INDUSTRIES, LTD.;REEL/FRAME:013295/0232 Effective date: 20020830 Owner name: NATURAL SCIENCE INDUSTRIES, LTD., NEW YORK Free format text: NOTICE OF RELEASE;ASSIGNOR:FLEET NATIONAL BANK, AS AGENT, (F/K/A BANKBOSTON NA);REEL/FRAME:013295/0197 Effective date: 20020827 |
|
FPAY | Fee payment |
Year of fee payment: 4 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: GMAC COMMERCIAL FINANCE LLC, AS AGENT, NEW YORK Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:NSI INTERNATIONAL, INC.;REEL/FRAME:016914/0592 Effective date: 20050815 Owner name: NSI INTERNATIONAL, INC., NEW YORK Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:GMAC COMMERCIAL FINANCE LLC;REEL/FRAME:016914/0629 Effective date: 20050815 Owner name: GMAC COMMERCIAL FINANCE LLC, NEW YORK Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:NATURAL SCIENCE INDUSTRIES, LTD.;REEL/FRAME:016914/0584 Effective date: 20050805 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: HSBC BUSINESS CREDIT (USA) INC., NEW YORK Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:NSI INTERNATIONAL, INC.;REEL/FRAME:018505/0672 Effective date: 20061016 Owner name: NSI INTERNATIONAL, INC., NEW YORK Free format text: NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS;ASSIGNOR:GMAC COMMERCIAL FINANCE LLC, AS AGENT;REEL/FRAME:018505/0684 Effective date: 20061016 Owner name: NATURAL SCIENCE INDUSTRIES, LTD., NEW YORK Free format text: NOTICE OF RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS;ASSIGNOR:GMAC COMMERCIAL FINANCE LLC;REEL/FRAME:018505/0695 Effective date: 20061016 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: NSI INTERNATIONAL, INC., NEW YORK Free format text: CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE NATURE OF CONVEYANCE, WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY LISTED AS A "NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS" PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 018505 FRAME 0684;ASSIGNOR:GMAC COMMERCIAL FINANCE LLC, AS AGENT;REEL/FRAME:018545/0953 Effective date: 20061016 |
|
REMI | Maintenance fee reminder mailed | ||
LAPS | Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees | ||
STCH | Information on status: patent discontinuation |
Free format text: PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362 |
|
FP | Lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee |
Effective date: 20070810 |